The phase of growing up is a wonderful time of life in which a child transforms to an adult. Childhood is the most pleasurable time in which life is innocent. It is like an empty canvas being painted by the environment surrounding it. The poems explored in depth are “Half-Past Two” by U.A. Fanthrope, “If” by Rudyard Kipling and “Prayer Before Birth” by Louis MacNiece. The rest are “Once Upon A Time” by Gabriel Okara, “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannel and A Mother in a Refugee Camp written by Chinua Achebe. All of the poems illustrate the theme of child hood and growing up through the literary devices and poetic features. Each of the poems consist different messages on how each poet have created an effect that affects the phase of growing up as a child.

In the poem “Half -past Two” by U.A. Fanthrope, the childhood has been reminisced and various events have been explored through the perspective of when he was a child. By (make point about i.e. language) The poet uses complex words and language to convey and show the child’s concept of understanding time beforehand and his teacher asks the boy to say “till half past two”, and this gives the impact that the boy cannot understand the “language” of time.

The style of this poem is very much of a child speaking to the author and recalling his childhood memories in the poem. It begins with the phrase “once upon a time” which is commonly used in many fairy tales. Innocence of the boy is evident in the first stanza, use of